Eiichiro Oda attended the Tezuka Award ceremony.
He was no stranger to this place. Five years ago, he had stood here as well, receiving a preliminary award for the Tezuka Award. Back then, he was only a high school student, and his first submission had been a success.
At that time, he was bursting with excitement. He truly believed he was chosen and would soon debut as a professional manga artist.
Five years had passed.
After countless revisions and sleepless nights, his painstakingly crafted One Piece had failed to pass the serialization meeting twice in a row. The serialization meeting had rejected it without hesitation.
Editor-in-Chief Torishima had shown little confidence in his work. That alone was enough to leave a deep scar on Oda's pride.
"One day, I'll create something that rivals Disney comics."
He still believed in himself. He continued revising, adjusting panels, refining characters, and quietly waiting for the third serialization meeting.
But yesterday, when his editor Sasaki invited him to attend the Tezuka Award ceremony, he mentioned something casually.
"Yoshihisa struck gold this time. Death Note is incredibly interesting, and it'll probably be serialized soon. Even the editor-in-chief is optimistic about it."
Serialization.
That word was almost a curse to Oda now.
Could someone who had just won a newcomer award really begin serialization so easily?
Then what had he been struggling for all these years?
Just how interesting was Death Note?
He had to see it for himself.
**
"What? It's interesting… but not as good as One Piece."
In the artwork display area, Oda finally found Death Note.
He flipped through the pages carefully. The mystery plot was sharp and tightly constructed. The psychological tension was impressive.
But serious works had limits. At least, that was what he believed.
Compared to the boundless imagination of Devil Fruits, pirates, and the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, this story felt restrained.
"My drawing skills aren't perfect either… but my realistic style should be more accessible than his."
He understood that his exaggerated, cartoonish style was one of the reasons Torishima disliked his work.
But that was something he refused to change.
To portray the fantasy and freedom of One Piece, he needed bold lines and imaginative expressions. Without that, the spirit of the story would die.
"I did nothing wrong." Still, his fists tightened.
"I'm not willing to accept this…" His gaze landed on the credited name: Laugh Tale.
"It even surpassed 'True Friends'… Who exactly is Laugh Tale?"
Beside him, several artists around his age were muttering among themselves.
Oda turned slightly. "You're participating in the Tezuka Award too? 'True Friends'… I haven't read it."
"No, you misunderstood," the young man replied with an awkward smile. "I meant the Golden Week issue of Akamaru Jump. My manga and Death Note were both published there. Unfortunately, my work only ranked third. Death Note took first place among short manga."
Oda paused. He knew what that meant.
Under Torishima's reforms, reader surveys had become the most important metric. Questionnaire rankings determined everything. Low-ranking works were cut. High-ranking ones received promotion and visibility.
The readers decided the future.
If Death Note ranked first, then the market had already spoken.
"I see…" Oda nodded slowly.
He wasn't the only one who had been overshadowed by Laugh Tale. Strangely, that realization gave him a faint sense of solidarity.
"My name is Eiichiro Oda. May I ask yours?"
"Me?" The young man scratched his head and grinned. "Masashi Kishimoto. I'm from Okayama Prefecture."
**
After the ceremony ended, Oda briefly considered approaching Satoru. But when he saw a young girl standing beside him, he hesitated and quietly walked away.
It wasn't a wasted trip, at least. He had met someone interesting.
"Kishimoto, why do you want to become a manga artist?" Oda asked as they walked outside.
"Because drawing comics is fun," Kishimoto replied honestly. "And you can make a lot of money."
He laughed sheepishly. "It's embarrassing, but during my first birthday celebration, I grabbed money before anything else. I guess I've liked it since I was born."
Oda chuckled.
"And you, Oda-kun?"
"Me?" Oda rubbed the back of his head. "When I was young, I loved Disney comics. They were wonderful."
His expression turned serious.
"But I couldn't find any Japanese works that felt comparable on a global scale. I was dissatisfied. I wanted to create a manga people all over the world could love."
"That's impressive," Kishimoto said with admiration. "You sound like a manga protagonist yourself. Passionate and ambitious."
"Don't expose me like that." Oda laughed loudly.
For some reason, he felt an immediate connection with this straightforward young man.
"Let's grab a drink."
***
Meanwhile, Satoru handed the prize to Maki and found Yoshihisa to say his goodbyes.
Torishima was standing nearby, holding a champagne glass and sipping slowly.
"How are you feeling tonight?" Yoshihisa asked.
"It's a wonderful place," Satoru replied calmly, glancing around the grand hall. "Very interesting. I'll be coming here often in the future."
Torishima said nothing, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Of course," Yoshihisa said, then bent slightly to look at Maki. "And you, little lady?"
"I… I had a lot of fun," she answered softly. "And thank you for helping me meet Takahashi-Sensei, Editor-san."
Yoshihisa laughed. "You're welcome."
After the brief exchange, Satoru turned toward Torishima and bowed slightly.
"Editor-in-Chief Torishima, I'll take my leave."
"Hm." Torishima raised his glass. "Take care."
He took his sister's hand and began walking toward the exit.
"Satoru." Torishima's voice stopped him. "I have high expectations for Death Note, so continue drawing it well."
"Of course." Satoru smiled and left the hall with confident steps.